


Adoption

by brilliantboffins



Series: The Bay Boys Series [12]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda (Broadway Cast) RPF
Genre: Animals, F/M, Fluff, M/M, adopt don't shop, animal adoption, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 14:04:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13168485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brilliantboffins/pseuds/brilliantboffins
Summary: Summary:"You stared at the dogs in the kennel, feeling overwhelmed at the sheer number of animals barking, howling, yipping, each vying for the attention of visitors. A part of you desperately wanted to adopt all of them, an impossibility that you were well aware of and the guilt clawed at you as you bit your lip, trying to just focus on one dog at a time. You felt someone's hand on your shoulder and glanced to the side, seeing Daveed's soft and encouraging smile.“You ok, kitten?” He asked gently."-- Y/N = your name(Use these extensions to replace Y/N with your name:Chrome: “Search and Replace”FiredFox:“Find and Replace”)





	Adoption

You stared at the dogs in the kennel, feeling overwhelmed at the sheer number of animals barking, howling, yipping, each vying for the attention of visitors. A part of you desperately wanted to adopt all of them, an impossibility that you were well aware of and the guilt clawed at you as you bit your lip, trying to just focus on one dog at a time. You felt someone's hand on your shoulder and glanced to the side, seeing Daveed's soft and encouraging smile.

“You ok, kitten?” He asked gently.

“Yeah...it's...it's just a bit...you know,” you answered, trying not to sound too helpless.

“I know,” he answered with a knowing look, “If we had the means we'd take all of them home, but at least we'll be able to help one?”

You nodded and returned his hopeful look with a smile, “Right, of course.”

He guided you down the aisle, both of you looking left and right, stopping once in awhile when a particular pup caught either of your eye. Some were clearly puppies, not yet fully grown, rambunctious and playful. They clung to the kennel doors, tails wagging happily. You scanned a few of their information cards but knew that puppies generally got adopted more easily than older dogs, so you kept moving.

Just as you were about to move towards the older dogs area you saw a flash of dirty blond hair accompanied by a familiar grin.

“Hey, sweetheart, where's Diggs?” Rafael asked as he caught up to you.

“I think he's playing with one of the puppies, near the entrance. What're you doing here? I thought you had rehearsals until noon?” You asked.

“Left early, couldn't leave you two bleeding hearts in an animal shelter alone, next thing I know our apartment's overrun with furry critters,” he teased.

You blushed and glanced away, muttering under your breath.

“What's that?” Your boyfriend asked slyly.

“I-I said we're not that bad,” you huffed.

Rafael chuckled and gave you a hug, “Hey, it's not a bad thing. Certainly not anything to feel ashamed about. If more people cared like you two there wouldn't be so many animals in the shelters in the first place.”

You nodded and looked around with a sigh.

“It's...it's so awful. I mean, it's good that at least these guys have a warm place and food, but it still sucks.”

“Hey, Rafa! You made it,” Daveed's voice interrupted as he caught up with you, “You gonna help us pick out a pup?”

Rafael nodded and looked between you and Daveed, “You guys find one you like?”

“All of them,” you grumbled as Daveed shrugged.

“Oh, in that case, I was talking to one of the staff and she recommended we look at this dog over in kennel 55,” the blond man said, “I was asking if they had one that had been here a while, little older, really needed a home.”

You perked up at the information and started looking at the kennels, trying to fine number 55. Daveed and Rafael followed behind, letting you take the lead.

“Did the staff tell you the dog's background?” You asked as you searched.

“Yeah, she said this dog was here as a pup, runt of the litter. Got bounced around in foster homes before she got adopted. Should've been a happy ending, but I guess she kind of snapped at her adoptive family over food issues and they sent her back here. Been depressed ever since,” Rafael explained.

“That's horrible!” You cried, trying to imagine how confused this poor dog must have felt.

“Hey, that's 55 over there,” Daveed pointed out suddenly and all three of you hurried over.

The sight that greeted you broke your heart and you even heard your boyfriends gasp. A fairly large-sized light brown dog sat in the back corner of the kennel. Her head was pressed to the wall, her entire body slumped down in hopeless despair. She didn't look interested in the toys or any visitors who came by, simply hunched over and having given up on ever getting out of the shelter.

Quickly, you checked the information sheet for some basics. Her name was Lana, she was a Labrador mix, not a puppy anymore but still quite young, possible food aggression issues, suggested for a home with no kids and no other pets.

You looked at Daveed and Rafael who were both trying to get Lana's attention even though she ignored them completely and made a decision.

“Um, excuse me!” You called out to a staff member nearby, “We're interested in this dog. Can we get to know her a little more?”

“This young lady here?” The staff replied as he came over, “She's not the most playful pup we've got,” he cautioned.

“I know, we heard she was returned after getting adopted,” you said.

“Yeah, poor thing. She's really heartbroken about it.”

“Can we maybe get some time alone with her?” Daveed asked.

“Sure, let me go check it the play room's free.”

The staff walked away as you turned back to Lana. She still hadn't changed position but her eyes were now looking at you.

“Hey pretty girl,” you coo-ed gently, “How're you doing? Do you want to come home with us?”

Lana seemed to sigh and went back to staring at the wall.

“We've got some great treats for you at home,” you tried again, “And a brand new bed! It's really big and soft.”

Lana inched her head from the wall and seemed to give you a measuring look. Rafael made a soft clicking noise and Lana shifted her attention to him.

“If you come home with us, we promise you'll get all the hugs and kisses you want,” you said, “Rafa and Daveed here's great at giving hugs and kisses. And I need another girl on my team, what do you say?”

One of Lana's ears perked up and she seemed tempted to move closer, although her eyes still looked incredibly sad.

The staff returned at that moment, holding a set of keys.

“Hey. There's a spare play room open if you want to hang out with her a bit. She's been very friendly with people, there was only one incident with her last family over food but otherwise she's never had any problems.”

You nodded and stepped aside so that he could open the kennel door. Lana was completely docile as the staff slipped a leash on her collar and led her out. She ignored the hustle and bustle of all the people, following the staff slowly, her tail drooping between her legs. There was no enthusiasm in her walk and your heart ached at how dejected she seemed.

The play room wasn't too large but there were some toys for the animals to play with. The staff asked if you wanted him to stay but you politely declined, preferring to spend some time alone with Lana to see how she'd react to you, Daveed, and Rafael. Nodding, the staff handed over Lana's leash and told you that he'll be back in around 10 minutes to see how things were going.

As the door closed, you shared a look with your boyfriends. Lana had sat down on her haunches, head hung low just like back in the kennel. Carefully, you crouched down and stretched out a hand slowly, inching closer so that she wouldn't get startled.

“Hi girl...My name's Y/N. We heard you're looking for a family,” you said softly.

Daveed and Rafael stayed behind you and just watched for now, not wanting to overwhelm Lana with too many people.

“We're looking for someone to join our family...what do you think?” You asked as you stopped moving, hand not quite touching Lana just yet.

For a few seconds no one moved. You hoped desperately that Lana would respond, even just a little bit. Without realizing it you had stopped breathing, holding your breath as if any disturbance might spook the pup.

Finally, with utmost caution, Lana dipped her head forward and pressed her nose to your fingertips. You smiled triumphantly, wanting to laugh in relief and swoop up Lana in a hug, but instead you held back and let her sniff your hand.

Behind you, Daveed and Rafael also seemed to relax. You felt them slowly move closer and crouch down beside you. Lana glanced at them warily but didn't back away, instead giving your hand a small lick.

“Oh, you're such a sweet girl,” Daveed cooed, his eyes already looking at Lana adoringly.

You shuffled a little closer and rubbed her ear, never moving too quickly and always giving her plenty of chances to move away if she wanted to.

“She's the sweetest, the best girl,” you agreed, smiling as Lana leaned her head into your hand.

Rafael grinned and pressed a kiss to your temple, watching you pet Lana.

“I think we found we've got ourselves a new family member,” he whispered.

\-----------------------

10 minutes later, the shelter staff returned. Lana still hadn't let her guard down completely but she didn't appear as dejected as before. She had laid down on the floor on her stomach, enjoying some pets from all three of you. Her tail still wasn't wagging just yet, but it twitched once in awhile like she wanted to. When you saw the staff return, you got up to speak with him.

“So, how'd it go?” He asked, smiling as he watched Daveed and Rafal coo over Lana.

“Good. Really well. We'd like to submit an adoption application for her,” you replied happily.

“Oh! That's wonderful! I'll let the front desk know. Here's the papers,” he said as he handed over a clipboard with some forms on it, “It's a $100 adoption fee and there's a mandatory 2-week trial period during which you can receive a full refund on the adopt fee if it doesn't work out. After that she's yours permanently. Just bring the papers to the front when you're ready.”

You nodded and began to fill in the forms immediately, having already prepared all the information beforehand.

“Is there anything about Lana we should be aware of before we take her home?” You asked.

“Just the food issue. It's likely because when she was in foster homes before there were always other dogs present, and since she was a runt she never quite felt secure about the food. Just make sure to not take food from her when she's eating, and a few training courses should help minimize that behaviour.”

“Right, we'll keep that in mind. And she's been fully vaccinated and spayed?” You asked, just to be sure.

“Yes, absolutely. We'll give you her vaccination papers when you take her home.”

A soft woof from Lana made you look up and you laughed as Lana suddenly lunged forward and licked Rafael's face, making him yelp and fall back onto the floor.

Daveed snickered and cheered Lana on as she pressed her wet nose against Rafael's neck making him squirm and squeak that he's ticklish there. Lana didn't give up, however, licking the blond man over and over, making soft woofing noises.

Daveed abandoned Rafael and came to you, glancing at the forms.

“I think Lana's going to fit right in with us,” he smirked, “Rafa won't stand a chance now.”

You two shared a laugh as Rafael tried to glare in your direction in between the giggles and Lana's licking attack. Even though you knew it would take awhile before Lana could completely put her past behind her, you made a silent promise to be with her every step of the way.

 

* * *

**_THE END_ **

Happy belated Christmas and merry early new year!! Adopt don't shop everyone!!

The **[story of Lana](https://www.thedodo.com/dog-returned-to-shelter-is-too-sad-to-go-on-walks-1429049646.html)** is based on a true story.

(You can find me on tumblr: **[la-frenchiest-frite](https://la-frenchiest-frite.tumblr.com/)** )  


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